Cotton-press.



G. J. LUGE.

COTTON PRESS. APPLIOATION'I'ILED mu.21, 1911.

1,014,764. atented Jan.16,1912.

. used in connection original compression, the

CHARLES J. LUCE, OF NIANTIC, CONNECTICUT,

COMPBESS COTTON-PRESS.

Application filed March 21, 1911. Serial No.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16,1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. Loon, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Niantic, in the county of New London and Stateof Connecticut, United States of America, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Cotton- Presses, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to an improvement in cotton presses, and,particularly, to the operation of collapsible pressure heads to betherewith and means for restoring the pressure heads to their initialposition by the retraction of the press.

My present invention is an improvement on an invention for which Iobtained Letters Patent of the United States on cotton presses datedJune 1st, 1909, No. 923,190. In this case I have deemed itunnecessary toreproduce the entire press as shown in that patent, but have simplyillustrated in two sectional views one collapsible pressure head firstin its initial and then in its collapsed position.

In a cotton press of the type referred to the bale of cotton is firstpressed at right angles to the direction of its original com.- pression;the second compression is then at right angles to that last referred, toand the original compression. The third compression is in the samedirection as that of the original compression. When the firstcompression is applied at right angles to the pressure heads employedare expanded to their full capacity, and when the secondary pressure atright angles to the first compression is applied,

these pressure heads are collapsed in so far as the pressure exertedagainst the cotton by the secondary pressure is required to compress thesame, then erted and the bale is bound, then the press is retracted toits initial position and tho bale is removed and another bale introducedfor purposes of compression. At this point in the operation of my cottonpress described in my Patent No. 923,190, it was necessary that I employmeans to expand the plates forming the collapsible compression head totheir initial position. My present invention is intended to provideautomatic means by which this may be accomplished plates forming theplatens the final pressure is exas the compress is retracted to itsinitial po'- sition.

I have illustrated my invention in the ac-- companying drawings,referring to the several parts by numerals, designating like parts bylike numerals. I

Figures 1 and 2 are both horizontal sections of a press similar to theone described in said Patent No. 923,190, Fig. 1 showing the partsexpanded, while Fig. 2 shows the parts contracted. I have deemed itunnecessary to illustrate the entire machine or the entire squarerepresenting the compress. It'will be understood that I have illustratedbut half of the section of the press asthe other half is a duplicatethereof, 1 and 2 representing the rectangular frame of the press, while3 and 3 are the side platens and 8 and 8 and their correspondinglyopposed platens are the end platens or pressure heads.

4 is a horizontal plate which is employed to bear upon the pressure heador platen 8 and force the same into the press.

5 and 5 are ways out into the plate 4, while 6 and 6 are ways out intothe frame 2.

7 and 7 are vertical shafts, and in the op eration of the press, theseshafts 7 and 7 are drawn together by suitable means, thus car rying withthem the frame 1-1 and causing the plate 4: to move against thecollapsible pressure'heads 8 by reason of the fact that in drawing thevertical shafts 7 7 together, they operate on the cam surfaces 5 to'cause said plate 4 to move inwardly.

In the operation of my press referred to in said patent pressure iscaused to bear upon the platens 8-8 and 3-3, the result being that whenthe bale is compressed, the

88, which it will be seen in this drawing are caused to overlap, aredriven to a position shown in Fig. 2. When the press is retracted, it isnecessary to restore these plates to their initial position beforeoperating the press again. As previously stated, my invention ,hereexpressed is intended to accomplish ASSIGNDR TO THE STANDARD co'r'rouCOMPANY, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

"cal-' shaft 7 and pivoted at the other end thereof at a point on thelever 9 which in cate this pivotal point as 12.

' 13 1s a lug mounted in a fixed position on thepermanent part oftheframe 2 in a position to make contact with the'lever 9 in thevoperation of the parts about to be described.

- As the pressure is exerted to compress, the parts are finally broughtfrom the posi-. tlonshown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2.

' As they are retracted, the platens 3-3 recede as do the platens 8-8and 8-8, but it $15,

will be noted that there is 'no immediate acz-tion of the levers which Ihave described to restore the ,plates to their initial position untilsuch time as-the platens 88 are re lieved from the pressure of theretracting cotton, and, indeed, no operative function is performed untilin the retraction of the lever 11 bearing withit the lever 9, the lever9 is caused to engagewith the lug 13, at whichpoint it will be notedthat the lever 11' begins to pull on the lever 9 at the point 12, whichis its pivotal connection therewith, and seeing that the furthermovement .oftlij'e lever 9 is retarded bythe stationary lug-13', thepulling strain of the lever 11 op- 3 crates to carry with it the plate8' and to restore the same to the initial position shown in Fig. 1. v

What I claim is: '1 In a cotton press substantially as described, apressure head formed of overlapping plates which are adapted to collapse"beforethe pressure of corresponding pres- .sure heads operating atright angles to said collapsible heads in combination with two "leverspivotally connected one with each plate and two other levers pivotallyconnected at one endwith corresponding movable parts of the compressionand retraction mechanism of the press, the other end of the lastmentioned levers being pivotally connected with thefirst mentionedlevers at a suitable point, two stationary lugs adapted to engage thefirst mentioned levers as the 2. In a cotton press substantially as de--scribed, two pressure heads formed of overlapping plates which areadapted to collapse before the pressure of corresponding pressure headsoperating at'right angles to said collapsible headsin combination withfour levers each pivotally connected with one plate,-four other leverseach pivotally connected at one. end to a moving part 'of thecompression and retraction mechanism of the press, the other end ojjeachof said levers being pivotally connected respectively with one of thefirst mentioned levers at a suit-able point, four stationary lugsadapted to engage the ends of said first mentioned levers as the pressretracts, the, system of levers being so adjusted as to cause enga ementwith the lugs at a predetermined po1nt y in the retraction of the pressand operating to restore the plates to their initial'position.

Signed by me at New York city, county and State of New York, this 20thday of March, 1911.

CHARLES J. LUGE. Witnesses:

RALPH O. L. FAY, CHARLES D. EDWARDS.

